


Who Are You?

by Pixeled



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Implied/Referenced Mind Control, M/M, Memory Loss, Mind Fuck, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033515
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pixeled/pseuds/Pixeled
Summary: “I’m right here. Inside you. I’m always with you. I’m a part of you. We share parts of the same DNA. I live within you and I don’t at the same time. You’ll find that out soon enough. Shall I let you go back? Do you know how you got that scar on your chest, Cloud? Do you remember who gave it to you?”
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 27





	Who Are You?

**Author's Note:**

> To Svrcina’s “Who Are You?” which is a perfect song for these two.
> 
> Lol I haven’t written Sefikura in 4 years, but I felt compelled to because of this song.

“Cloud, are you okay?” Tifa asked, concern written plainly on her face. Cloud had been talking, and then mid-sentence he stopped, grabbed his head, and winced, toppling over the barstool and crashing to the floor onto his back, hitting his head.

Cloud’s vision blurred slowly until all he saw were two closed eyes with dark long lashes casting shadows over high cheekbones, a cruel smile on curved bow lips. The eyes opened and glowing green seared into him. The pain was so intense he fell to his knees. Had he gotten up?

“ _Do you know who I am?”_

 _“Se…ph…i…roth.”_ Everything melted away. He couldn’t see Tifa. He couldn’t see the bar. He couldn’t see Barret. He couldn’t see Marlene on his shoulder hugging her adoptive father’s neck.

All he saw was Sephiroth.

But there were holes in his memory.

Who was Sephiroth? All the sudden he didn’t even know who _he_ was. Of course he had to know. He was Cloud, retired First Class SOLDIER, Mercenary for hire. But there was a huge gap in his memory. Years. Several years. How old was he? Where did he come from?

_“I hope you’ll find an older girlfriend to take care of you.”_

His mother seeing him off on the train, running along it until she couldn’t see him anymore, until the train got too fast, her hand waving, a sad smile on her face. He remembered feeling guilty leaving her alone, but he’d promised to write frequent letters.

Then he remembered something strange. His face was blank and there was a whole halo of hair switching from black to blond.

Nibelheim.

Running into his house, finding his mother’s corpse laying in her bed, the blanket fused to her skin. Outside, flames climbed the sky. His home was in ruins. Sephiroth smiling, his sword drawn.

The green eyes slit into those of a cat’s, or a snake’s, poisonous, beautiful.

“ _Who are you?”_ Cloud screamed.

“ _Your worst nightmare, or your friend, your confidant, perhaps more? That depends on you. You can’t escape your DNA, what’s in your blood.”_ A silky tone.

 _“I know you…”_ Cloud whispered.

_“Good boy. Who am I?”_

_“I don’t know! I don’t know anything!”_

_“You don’t remember anything past the age of about fourteen. Anything after that is a blur. Distorted. Skewed. Faces are blank, memories are jumbled. You remember leaving Nibelheim. Almost everything else is a lie you fabricated to hold onto reality.”_ A smile that was acid-laden. “ _Shall I tell you what you’re missing? All the puzzle pieces that you’ve mistaken? Ah, but I don’t want you to break. You are strong, but fragile as a baby bird. It must be fed to you, piece by piece.I need you to be strong.”_

_“Who is Sephiroth?!”_

_“You don’t remember? That’s a shame. Do you feel safe, Cloud? Or am I a monster?”_

Flashes of things went through Cloud’s mind. Failing his SOLDIER assessment? What? How?

 _“I’m SOLDIER!”_ Cloud screamed.

“ _Are you?”_ Sephiroth goaded.

 _“Why? Why me? Why are you doing this?”_ Cloud sobbed.

“ _You’re not such an easy target, Cloud.”_

Suddenly Cloud was on a round white stage that dropped off into vast darkness, but there was a light directly on him and it spun slowly.

 _“One minute I know you,”_ Sephiroth said, his voice echoing through his mind. _“Then I Don’t. Your brain is a jumble of wires and I must rearrange them for you. Or…perhaps it will happen organically?”_

 _“Hello?! Where are you?! Who are you?!”_ Cloud screamed.

_“I’m right here. Inside you. I’m always with you. I’m a part of you. We share parts of the same DNA. I live within you and I don’t at the same time. You’ll find that out soon enough. Shall I let you go back? Do you know how you got that scar on your chest, Cloud? Do you remember who gave it to you?”_

Suddenly Sephiroth appeared on the white stage. A wind kicked up and his long silver hair streamed around them. He wore a long black coat accented by silver armor and silver details. He walked close to Cloud, took his chin in his hand, made him look up at him. He bent to kiss him gently.

“ _We can be gods,”_ Sephiroth whispered.

Then all the sudden Cloud slammed back into his body. It was disorienting. Tifa was kneeling over him.

“You took a tumble,” Tifa said, smiling a little. “Maybe you should go rest and skip the meeting.”

“Y-yeah,” Cloud whispered. “Yeah, that’s a good idea.”

“Need me to walk you over to the room?” Tifa asked.

“I think I’m good now. Headaches. They come and go. I’m sorry.”

“Go rest,” Tifa nudged. “I’ll come get you when dinner is ready.”

“Okay,” Cloud said, got up, and slunk out of the bar, avoiding eye contact with Barret.

When he was in bed and he closed his eyes, he kept seeing his mother. Bits of her talking, then her corpse, then her laughing. He couldn’t remember anything after he left Nibelheim, only bits and pieces came back.

Who was he?


End file.
